(Contributed photo by Melrose Lagonoy)
LEGAZPI CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) in Bicol said the shift to a three-term school calendar is expected to strengthen classroom instruction by providing longer, more continuous teaching periods and reducing disruptions.
Dr. Grace Rabelas, chief education supervisor of DepEd Bicol’s Curriculum and Learning Management Division, said schools are still adjusting to the new system, but initial feedback has been positive.
“So far, many have appreciated the more organized school calendar, where academic and non-academic activities no longer overlap,” Rabelas said.
The three-term setup, which began in School Year 2026-2027, allocates separate periods for classroom instruction, administrative work, report preparation, grade computation, remediation under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning program, and learner wellness activities.
Under the previous four-quarter setup, seminars, workshops, contests and other non-academic activities sometimes overlapped with classes and pulled teachers away from instruction.
Rabelas said the first term included a 51-day instructional block and experienced relatively few class suspensions, helping schools sustain classroom teaching.
“For the students, we hope their grades will improve because teachers have more time to teach,” she said, adding that DepEd wants to assess whether more continuous instruction will lead to better learning outcomes.
DepEd Bicol Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad said the shift from four quarters to three terms does not reduce teaching days.
“Instead of shortening the period, we actually made the terms longer, so teachers have more days to teach the subject,” Sadsad said.
DepEd Bicol is monitoring implementation of the new calendar, including concerns raised by schools, teachers and learners. Some non-academic activities, including academic competitions and school press conferences, are being scheduled on weekends or near the end of each term.
